TGA Restrictions: What Changed and Why

If you've noticed cosmetic clinic websites and Instagram pages reading differently over the past couple of years, you're not imagining it. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has significantly tightened how injectable cosmetic treatments can be advertised in Australia — and as a nurse working in this space, I think it's worth explaining plainly what changed and why.

What actually happened

In December 2023, the TGA removed previously accepted terms from what clinics are allowed to say in advertising. Phrases like "anti-wrinkle injections" and "dermal fillers" — terms that had been standard industry language for years — were deemed to draw a consumer's mind toward a prescription-only medicine, which isn't permitted under the Therapeutic Goods Act. The reasoning: even without naming a specific drug or brand, describing the category of treatment still counts as promoting a prescription medicine to the public.

Then in September 2025, AHPRA (the body that regulates health practitioners) introduced further guidelines specifically for anyone performing cosmetic procedures. These went beyond advertising language and into how clinics can operate — banning financial inducements, discounted procedures, and time-limited offers designed to push people toward a quick decision.

Why it matters

The point of both sets of changes is the same: to remove pressure from the decision-making process. Cosmetic injectable treatments carry real risk, however small, and the TGA and AHPRA don't want people choosing a treatment because of a flashy ad, a countdown-timer discount, or a before-and-after photo doing more convincing than a proper conversation would.

Why you won't see before-and-after photos on my page

This is the one people ask me about most, so let's actually talk about it.

Before-and-after photos of cosmetic injectable treatments are one of the things explicitly restricted under these rules, and honestly, once I understood the reasoning, it made sense to me. A photo doesn't show you someone's consultation. It doesn't show you why a treatment was suited to their face, or what was discussed, or what wasn't done because it wasn't right for them. It just shows an outcome, out of context, designed to sell you on wanting the same thing — and that's exactly the kind of pressure the regulations are trying to remove.

I get that it's frustrating from a client's perspective. I understand wanting to see real results before committing to a treatment or a practitioner — that's a completely reasonable thing to want. But I'd rather show you my actual work properly, in person, with context, than post a flat image with no story behind it.

So here's what I do instead: book a complimentary consultation

If you want to see my work, genuinely the best thing to do is come in and let me show you. I offer complimentary consultations for exactly this reason — no obligation, no pressure, no expectation that you'll book anything on the spot.

In that consultation, I can show you real examples relevant to your face and your goals, walk you through my approach, explain what I'd suggest and why, and just as importantly, tell you honestly if something isn't going to suit you. You get to ask me anything — about my training, my experience, how I handle complications, what a treatment actually involves. It's a conversation, not a sales pitch.

I think this is actually a better system than photos ever were. A picture can't tell you whether a practitioner listens to you, whether they're honest about limitations, or whether you feel comfortable in the room with them. A consultation can. And you walk away either with a plan you feel good about, or simply more informed than you were before — either outcome is a win, as far as I'm concerned.

What it means for how I talk to you

You'll notice I don't use certain words on this site or Instagram, I don't run flash sales on injectable treatments, and you won't see specific before-and-after photos for anything involving prescription substances. That's not me being vague — it's me following the same rules every compliant practitioner in this country now follows.

If you're curious about anything at all — my training, what a treatment might look like for you, or just want to see what I do — book a complimentary consultation. No pressure, no obligation. That's exactly what it's there for.